The present invention relates to an improved device and method for separating components within a solution, which device and method have particular utility in cell separation, internal component cell separation and genetic engineering applications.
The process of centrifugation and centrifuges as devices have long existed for biomedical applications such as cell separation, internal component cell separation, and genetic engineering. Centrifugation processes and centrifuges rely on centrifugal forces acting on cells, cell mixtures, body fluids and the like suspended in an aqueous solution to overcome many of the forces associated with the cells or other particles suspended in the solution. By virtue of spinning the solution at high speeds, the centrifugal force necessary to separate a particular cell structure is generated.
Over the last forty years, many attempts have made to improve the efficiency of the centrifugation process. These attempts have included: increasing the speed at which solutions are spun; providing continuous flow type rotors, adapters and centrifuges which continuously process large amounts of solution; increasing the size of the rotors, tubes and bottles used in the devices; and engineering stronger rotors to enable more solution to be spun at once. Other efforts to improve the efficiency of centrifugation have included fixed angle rotors, swinging bucket rotors, zonal rotors and tube and bottle embodiments which allow a scientist to more precisely extract a desired piece of cell tissue from a given solution with accurate and predictable results. Despite all these improvements, the basic process has not been altered--the force which acts on the cells and the solutions during centrifugation remains centrifugal force.
Another set of devices used to separate cell membranes from cells are known as sonicators. These devices utilize sonic waves instead of centrifugal force. In these devices, transducers for generating sonic waves are immersed in a solution containing the cells.
Ultrasound energy has been used in a number of different medical applications. Many common forms of diagnostic imaging use low powered ultrasound energy to image the heart and other human organs as well as image human fetuses. Ultrasound by its very nature acts to excite, vibrate, heat, and in some very high energy levels, cavitate cells and cell tissue. The effects of ultrasound on cell particles and tissues in steady state and pulsed conditions are well documented. In fact, ultrasound is now used in sonification techniques to pre-rupture cell membranes. The power, frequency, and amplitude of sonic waves determine the degree of cellular and subcellular excitation, liquid heating, cell vibration and possible cavitation.
Despite the existence of this technology, there still remains a need to improve cell separation techniques. Entire new sciences including genetic engineering, have resulted from more precise techniques to isolate and remove subcellular and in some uses submolecular, organic matter.